"By the way, His Majesty mentioned at the morning court session this year that the Qi Kingdom will send envoys to pay tribute after the spring, which may indicate an intention to form a marriage alliance! I wonder which prince they have their eye on?"
Chi Jingyu's expression was unreadable: "Since the Crown Prince is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and he hasn't even married yet, how could it be the turn of the other princes?"
In his previous life, at this time, the Crown Prince had already been imprisoned and was on the verge of being rejected by the Emperor. Now that he was sitting in this position unharmed, he was the most suitable candidate.
However, the Crown Prince's principal wife, the future mother of the nation, must not be a princess from another country, and His Majesty will consider this matter carefully.
Chi Jingyu was just puzzled by one thing: he didn't recall ever having a marriage alliance.
——
Two days later, the results of the imperial examinations were announced.
Soon, the entire Chi family received the good news delivered by the messenger.
Chi Yanren was still outside when he returned home and was greeted by his family, who happily exclaimed, "Son, you've really made us proud!"
Mr. and Mrs. Chi surrounded him, praising him endlessly, their faces full of satisfaction.
Chi Yan glanced around the crowd and quickly noticed something was wrong. He asked in a deliberately nonchalant tone, "Where's Tang Ning?"
Madam Chi opened her mouth, just then Xueqing stepped in, followed by a doctor. Her tone was anxious: "Please, could you please examine my young lady and see how serious her condition is..."
Chi Yan's smile froze, his mind went blank, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly. His voice was strained as he asked, "...What happened to her?"
As Chi's mother was about to explain, she didn't know where to begin and hesitated for a moment. Chi Yan's face suddenly turned pale, and without saying a word, he rushed inside.
Mrs. Chi stared in surprise, "Ayan, why are you running away!" But Chi Yan's figure had already disappeared from sight. She turned to look at Mr. Chi, both amused and annoyed, "Why is this child acting like he's lost his soul? Tang Ning is perfectly fine!"
Chi Yan practically ran to Ruyi Residence. Along the way, he considered every possible possibility. His mother's hesitant expression flashed through his mind, which he automatically interpreted as her being in a difficult position.
In his haste, he could only recall a similar scene from many years ago: after passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar, he happily asked his mother for a reward, but she suddenly fell ill and lay on her deathbed.
He couldn't imagine what it would be like if the person lying there was Shen Tangning...
His initial joy was instantly extinguished by cold water. Chi Yan's hands and feet turned ice-cold. He stumbled through the door, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Tang Ning..."
Shen Tangning was sitting by the couch, having just taken off her shoes and socks. It was an accident; she had been too excited to hear that Chi Yan had won the imperial examination and twisted her ankle when she went out.
It wasn't too serious, but it ached slightly when walking. Chi's mother was worried, so she sent her back and asked Xueqing to fetch a doctor to take a look.
Shen Tangning felt somewhat embarrassed to have to see a doctor for such a trivial matter. When she heard Chi Yan's voice, she was surprised and blushed as she hid her feet under her skirt.
Chi Yan staggered in and, seeing her face flushed an unnatural red, mistook her for having a fever, his pupils dilating.
His eyes quickly reddened, and he stumbled forward two steps to her. He raised his hand several times before lowering it, stroking her hair as he asked in a hoarse voice, "I was perfectly fine when I left home, how... how did I become so sick?"
Shen Tangning was taken aback. Forgetting her embarrassment, she looked up at him, confused, with a puzzled expression in her eyes: "Who told you I was sick?"
Chi Yan stared blankly down at her, then subconsciously asked, "So what's this?"
She cleared her throat, feigning composure: "I twisted my ankle."
Chi Yan: "..."
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